Stephen Jacobi, Executive Director of NZIBF, traveled to San Francisco for APEC Leaders’ week and writes his thoughts on the outcome.
All eyes on Washington
The US NZ Pacific Partnership Forum, the fifth in a series, initiated by the US NZ Council and the NZ US Council opens in Washington DC on Sunday May 19. This year’s Forum is markedly different from earlier versions – bigger (over 250 attendees), more diverse (including 45 future partners in the age range 20 to 30) and open to the press. This year’s Forum comes as good progress is being made on devising a new foundation for the economic relationship in the form of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which links not only the United States and New Zealand but ten other economies. This development is long over-due. Research by NZIER shows that over time the two countries have become economically less important to each other. Today New Zealand provides 0.15% of the US’s total goods imports, down from 0.26% in 1991. The US share of New Zealand imports has dropped from 17% to 9.3% in the same period. The US remains our third largest export market and a major partner for investment, tourism, film and education.
TPP is about more than just the United States. Japan’s prospective entry has radically changed the economic prize for New Zealand with GDP set to rise by $2.2 billion up by 2025 up from $0.5 billion without Japan. TPP is about setting a new framework for trade and investment in the Asia Pacific region. In an age of the global supply chains, US involvement remains critical. So we can expect a lot of discussion about TPP at the forthcoming Forum, reflecting the significant political and business interest in TPP in Washington right now, along with some discussion about what’s next for the NZ/US relationship once TPP is concluded.
REGISTER WITH TRADE WORKS
Register to stay up to date with latest news, as well as saving and discussing articles you’re interested in.
Latest News
Of APEC, CPTPP and IPEF
While New Zealand was sorting out its new Government, the alphabet soup which is trade got a good stirring in San Francisco. This was APEC Leaders’ week, the annual gathering of Leaders, Ministers, business people and other stakeholders from the 21 economies of...
Remarks to Shanghai Forum: “China and CPTPP – New Zealand Expectations and Advice”
FUNDAN UNIVERSITY, SHANGHAI, 28 OCTOBER 2023 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FORUM 杰珂陛 执行董事 新西兰国际商业论坛 CHINA AND CPTPP – NEW ZEALAND EXPECTATIONS AND ADVICE It is an honour for me to speak in such a distinguished forum. My thanks...
ADDRESS TO THE 53rd ONE STOP UPDATE FOR THE ACCOUNTANT IN BUSINESS – GLOBAL ECONOMIC UPDATE
AUCKLAND, 16 OCTOBER 2023 STEPHEN JACOBI - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NZ INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FORUM Watch the full speech here. It’s a pleasure to be back with you for the 53rd edition of the One Stop Update and my thanks to Brightstar for giving me this opportunity once...
EYES OPENED DURING INDIA VISIT
Published by Newsroom on 6 September 2023 Stephen Jacobi reports on the recent business delegation to India. Every country has its contrasts and a subcontinent of 1.4 billion with thousands of years of history has more than most. Today’s India can reach the...
GUEST BLOG: Raewyn Bleakley, Chief Executive, New Zealand Food and Grocery Council
Exporting is an important part of the business of many NZFGC members whose brands we see daily on supermarket shelves. For some, exporting outweighs what they sell on our shores, while others are looking to break into new markets to open up growth opportunities beyond...
New Zealand business delegation “over the moon” with Indian trade and investment opportunities
MEDIA RELEASE - Friday 1 September, 2023 The involvement of New Zealand businesses in the successful Indian Moon landing epitomises the trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. Just as Rakon and RocketLab provided innovative elements to the...
REMARKS TO INDIA NEW ZEALAND TRADE AND ECONOMIC ROUNDTABLE
DELHI, 28 AUGUST 2023 STEPHEN JACOBI - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NZ INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FORUM Opening remarks It’s a pleasure for me and the entire New Zealand delegation to be in Delhi today just days since India’s magnificent moon landing. These days India is literally...
Large business delegation bound for India
MEDIA RELEASE - Tuesday 22 August, 2023 Fifty business representatives will leave later this week bound for Delhi, making it one of the largest delegations ever to head for India. The delegation, comprising members and senior leaders of five business organisations,...
India and New Zealand: The next innings
As published in the NZ Herald, 18 August 2023 By Stephen Jacobi As a trade mission prepares to depart for Delhi, Stephen Jacobi of the New Zealand International Business Forum considers the prospects for growing two-way trade and investment between India and New...
CRUNCH TIME FOR CPTPP
As published in the NZ Herald, 18 August 2023. By Stephen Jacobi, Executive Director, NZ International Business Forum. Following the Ministers’ meeting in Auckland, what is the outlook for CPTPP as the world’s most ambitious free trade agreement? When Ministers...
INDIA AND NEW ZEALAND: GETTING ONTO THE FRONT FOOT
A 50 person business delegation is about to depart for India. It follows a major report by the India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC), published in April. The report took a critical look at the relationship, finding a number of shortcomings and advocating...
ADDRESS TO THE HAWKE’S BAY BRANCH OF THE NZ INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS – “TRADE SECURITY – FINDING NEW BASKETS”
TUESDAY 15 AUGUST 2023 STEPHEN JACOBI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NZ INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FORUM It’s a pleasure to be with you once again. This is an address about trade but also about baskets and eggs – in particular how many eggs and how many baskets we need to prosper...
SUBMISSION TO THE PARLIAMENTARY FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE COMMITTEE
INTERNATIONAL TREATY EXAMINATON OF THE NEW ZEALAND EUROPEAN UNION FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, JULY 2023 Introduction and Summary This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand International Business Forum (NZIBF) whose members are listed at Annex A[1]. NZIBF is a...
CER CELEBRATES A RUBY ANNIVERSARY
The Australia-New Zealand Leadership, the semi-annual gathering of Ministers and business leaders, has been described as a “successful symbol of trans-Tasman togetherness[1]”. And the togetherness vibe was certainly present when the Forum gathered in Wellington...
Asia-Pacific businesses urge APEC Leaders to act on equity, sustainability and opportunity in an increasingly challenging landscape
APEC NEWS RELEASE issued by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Meeting in Cebu, the Philippines, this week, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) stressed the need for action in an increasingly fragmented and difficult operating environment. “Our theme for...